Race, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Statement

The New Orleans Youth Master Plan (YMP) is a citywide collective impact effort, comprised of public, business, community, higher education, nonprofit, philanthropic, and youth leaders who have a shared commitment to an ambitious youth-led vision:

“New Orleans is a city where the full self-expression, leadership, creativity, and culture of all children and youth come together to create a true community where everyone succeeds.”

Collectively, we seek to align our efforts and resources across our community to make this vision a reality. Therefore, we believe in and stand for values of inclusion, equity and justice. We welcome all people and recognize the rights of individuals to live their lives with dignity, free of discrimination based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, faith, language, national origin or immigration status.

In order for the New Orleans Youth Master Plan to advance the fulfillment of the youth-led vision ensuring all of New Orleans children and youth succeed, we must approach our collective impact efforts through the application of an equity lens that allows us to better see and understand the barriers and challenges faced by all of our children, youth and their families. Through this intentional approach, we can co-create better solutions, shape targeted strategies and measure meaningful results that actually meet the needs of our children and youth. Ultimately, new pathways of opportunities would exist for children, youth and their families and New Orleans would become a “true community where everyone succeeds.”

The New Orleans Children and Youth Planning Board (CYPB), the Youth Master Plan (YMP) Partners — the Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families (OYF) and the New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA) — along with the Youth Master Plan Steering Committee, Youth Advisory Board (YAB), and Working Groups are committed to applying a racial equity and inclusion lens to our collective impact work.

This is our Race, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging statement, affirmed by the CYPB members, YMP Partners, and representatives from the YMP Steering Committee and Working Groups on September 12, 2023.